Optical spectral study of Nd3+ in YSZs with ion beam-induced luminescence

Abstract

Ion beam-induced luminescence (IBIL) spectroscopy based on the stark level characteristics of trivalent neodymium (Nd3+): 4F3/2 → 4I9/2 emissions is a powerful tool for characterizing material molecules and crystal structures and quantifying radiation damage. Its spectral parameters are considered to characterize the molecular and crystal structure environment and to track the degree of short-range order disturbance of cationic sites. However, IBIL-based related technologies have rarely been reported. In this article, the IBIL of Nd3+ in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZs) was studied in the near-infrared region, especially the Nd3+: 4F3/2 → 4I9/2 emission at room temperature with 2 MeV H+. The results show that 1) a single IBIL spectrum carries as much information about the structure of a substance as the PL spectrum. 2) The surrounding crystal environments of Nd3+ cations in the three samples are consistent. 3) H+ does little damage to the sample in the course of analysis.